C&N isotope data for Gracilinanus agilis from Brazilian neotropical savannas

Description

Stable carbon (δ13C) and nitrogen (δ15N) isotopes were used to investigate how fragmentation alters the isotopic niche space of the agile opossum (Gracilinanus agilis) in relation to habitat loss in semideciduous forests in the Brazilian savanna. Hair samples were washed with distilled water, immersed in a 2:1 solution of chloroform and methanol for 30 min, and washed again with distilled water. Isotopic analyses were performed at the Stable Isotope Facility of the University of California (SIF), Davis, USA. Mean values of δ13C were similar across patch size classes within landscapes, ranging from -25.9 to -22.8‰. This interval of δ13C values revealed that individuals assimilated mostly forest patch resources (C3) and practically no resources from the pasture matrix (C4), regardless of patch size and habitat loss context. The agile opossum presented a great variation in δ¹5N values, ranging from 3.9 to 9.7‰. These values indicate it is an omnivore-insectivore with great trophic plasticity, presenting a diet that comprises frugivory up to third-level consumer. There is clear evidence that fragmentation and habitat loss modify the trophic niche of G. agilis, hampering its ecological role as a seed disperser, especially in more degraded landscapes.

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